Fans gave Carey Price a royal welcome. Fans cheered for Price for the first time when he took to the ice for the warm-up period. They also highlighted his comeback when he got in front of his net to stop his teammates’ early shots.
The Bell Center then shook when the players arrived before the game, then after announcer Michel Lacroix named Price during the presentation of the starting lineup.
Interim head coach Martin St-Louis had confirmed his presence at the end of the morning training.
It’s good to see that he is here today, that he is there and that he will be able to play. It will give the team a boost of energy. I can not wait to see it
underlined St-Louis.
Forward Michael Pezzetta and defender Corey Schueneman have also been added to the Canadiens roster, taking over from Tyler Pitlick and Jordan Harris.
Then, at the start of the afternoon, the Canadiens indicated that they had assigned goalkeeper Cayden Primeau to his school club, the Laval Rocket.
Price has not played since July 7, 2021, when the Canadiens surrendered in front of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 34-year-old British Columbian underwent knee surgery on July 23 and was expected to recover in time for the start of the season on October 13. The Habs, however, announced on October 7 that Price had signed up for the NHL’s Player Assistance Program and the NHL Players Association and that he would be out for at least 30 days.
Price later admitted that he made the decision to deal with a substance abuse problem.
When he returned to the team entourage early in November, Price had to start his rehabilitation all over again. His fitness program was then halted in early 2022 when the team was affected by an outbreak of COVID-19.
Price said on January 31 that he was hopeful of playing by the end of the season, but he admitted there was a possibility that his career could be in jeopardy.
There’s a saying that champions are built when no one is watching.
said St. Louis.
A player’s success, for the fans, is judged on the ice, but the player must do many things to be successful on the ice, often alone, when no one is watching or cheering them on.
added the coach.
Price had to take a step back again recently, in March, due to another illness. However, the big day has finally arrived.
It was a daily assessment. That’s why we couldn’t give a timeline, explained goalkeeper coach Éric Raymond. We never knew how he was going to feel. This time around, we were waiting to see how his knee was doing every day. It was better, so he can play.
He worked hard to play that game. He lived through many disappointments and overcame many hardships, added Raymond. All along, I admired him. I saw a goalkeeper who wanted to play hockey, who was hurting not being able to help the team, not being able to live his passion.
The Canadiens have had a miserable season in his absence. He was last in the NHL heading into Friday’s games with a 3.81 goals-against average.
The Canadiens’ first-round pick in 2005, fifth overall, Price has a career record of 360-257-79 with a 2.50 GAA and .917 save percentage. His 360 career wins rank him first in team history.